Jordan Wilbanks: Hero Spotlight
Each quarter, we love to share with you the experience one of our Hero Donors has had throughout their time serving those in our care. This time, we are excited for you to hear from one of our former employees who chooses to support children and families in need in Alabama, even though he lives states away!
Jordan Wilbanks served on our Communications Team in Birmingham for about 18 months during 2015 and 2016, when he was called to Missouri to work as the Director of Church Partnerships at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Following is our interview with Jordan about his time at ABCH, why he is a Hero Donor and advocate for our ministry, and how God is working in his life today.
Your experience is unique as a Hero Donor, in that you were at one time, an ABCH employee. Share about what you did at ABCH and how the Lord led you to be a part of our mission on an even deeper level through the Hero Fund.
For just a brief year and a half, I served on the Communications team at ABCH as the Web and Digital Specialist. I was tasked with managing the content we as an organization would put on our website and also on our social media accounts. Here is why that was awesome: the ministry being done every day by our organization’s house parents, social workers, foster families, volunteers, counselors, and staff was simply amazing, and I had the wonderful privilege of telling as many people as possible all about it. Most notably, I aimed to use our videos for the purpose of telling stories of lives being changed. It’s one thing for me to tell you about something that happened to a person, but it’s a far more powerful thing to provide a platform for that person to tell their own story.
Even though my stay in the role was brief, it was easy to say I believed in what we were doing as an organization. It was fun to tell stories of selfless sacrifice, and it was absolutely invigorating to see kids who came from a myriad of difficult backgrounds have opportunities to “just be kids.”
Jordan shown here with his nephews and niece.
I even got to have a small part in the inception of the Hero Fund, and once it was up and running, I jumped in right away to want to serve the kids whose stories we were privileged to tell. One thing I realized over the course of my time at ABCH was that a ministry like this is made possible through the collective efforts of many, even if in small ways.
So even though I haven’t been on staff (or in Alabama) since the end of 2016, I still want to contribute to the ministry of ABCH knowing that real, tangible work is being done which has an impact on the real lives of kids. And many of these kids just need to believe someone out there will care for them, clothe them, and hold their hand in a time of distress. And that’s exactly what the Church is called to do.
While serving at ABCH, what were the most fulfilling and most challenging parts? How did God grow your heart for children in need during this season?
When such an enormous percentage of your job is fulfilling, it’s quite challenging to say what was most fulfilling. But the real answer is that I know for a fact that the Lord has used the ministry of ABCH to bring children to know Jesus. God’s provision for us all who know Christ comes in varying experiences, but for these kids, it has happened through a house parent being the first one to share the basic truths of the gospel with them. It has happened because a child can see his or her prayers get answered through a foster family, and through that family the Lord reveals himself and grabs hold of that child’s heart never to let go. So it’s enormously fulfilling to know you’re working in a setting which is being used by the Creator of the universe toward those ends.
What was most challenging was to learn how many kids were in desperate need, and to learn what kinds of environments many of these children grow up in. Those of us who grew up with a lot of advantages from the start—say, a mom and a dad—will always have a hard time understanding the challenges facing those who are forced to grow up in a harsh world with far less than we had, unless we dive in headfirst for the sake of children like this. They can educate us, humble us, and drive us to a much more Christlike level of compassion.
There was some good soul-searching and self-evaluation that happened during my time there. The Lord had to change some things about my perceptions that I didn’t even know were there, much less that they were problematic. I’d say in summary that my time there made me want to spend more time with people who were hurting.
Is there a certain ministry area of the Hero Fund you are supporting (Foster, Campus, or Family Care), and if so, is there a certain reason why this part of the ministry was closer to your heart to support?
I think my honest answer is that I’m giving to whatever the greatest area of need is. If I remember correctly, I was actually the first “Hero” Donor to sign up, so perhaps that option has changed!
Life today–What are you called to do professionally now, and what are some of the things you most enjoy about it?
Currently, I serve as the Director of Church Partnerships at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. I run a pastoral mentorship program for first year masters students called The Timothy Track, and I pursue ministry partnerships with church leaders around the U.S.
Over the past decade or so, God has sharpened my understanding of my strengths and my calling. As the son of a Baptist pastor, and having served as a pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Homewood, a ministry focus for me has become supporting, befriending, praying for, and resourcing pastors. The pastorate can be a lonely calling, and I hope to do anything I can to serve pastors well and walk alongside them.
In addition, I want to see a new generation of pastors brought up to hold the Word of God up to its proper place of authority, and to shepherd their people toward Christ. My role at Midwestern gives me the opportunity to serve with each of these things in mind, and to do so in an absolutely wonderful work environment. And Kansas City is an awesome place to live, with beautiful weather, professional sports teams, and a lot more highways for easier travel than in Birmingham! Still much love to the Ham, though.
If someone didn’t know anything about ABCH, what would you share with them?
For someone completely unacquainted with the ministry of ABCH, the first thing I’d want to do is introduce them to a social worker. It doesn’t take but a few minutes with one of them to see how deeply they love children and families, and what lengths they’ll go to for the sake of “the orphaned and abandoned.”
I would take them to a house parent because they remind me of Jesus. They give-give-give because that’s what Jesus has always done for us. We bring nothing to the table, and we have everything in Christ. When I’d see social workers or a house parents spend themselves for the sake of a child, it reminds me that the only hope I’d ever have for reconciliation with the Father was for the Son to spend himself for me.
So I’d point someone to a person like that, because that’s what the gospel alive in a person, or in an organization, looks like.
Visit us here to learn more about the Hero Fund!